'Public plan' for health care draws more distortions

By Angie Drobnic Holan
Published on Wednesday, August 26th, 2009 at 6:09 p.m.

Related rulings:

"Any government-run 'public' plan ... creates an entitlement that will cost another $1 trillion over the next 10 years."

Ginny Brown-Waite, Monday, August 24th, 2009.

Ruling: Half-True | Details

"Any government-run 'public' plan ... forces more employers to drop employee coverage due to rising costs and pay an additional 8% payroll tax for each worker."

Ginny Brown-Waite, Monday, August 24th, 2009.

Ruling: Mostly False | Details

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Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite discusses health reform at a town hall meeting in Minneola, Fla.

Its called "franking," and it's a perk that allows members of Congress to send mail to their constituents for free.

One of our readers sent us a mailer he received from Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, a Republican who represents west-central Florida.

"This mailing was prepared, published and mailed at taxpayer expense," it states.

Inside, it reads like campaign literature:

"Any Government-Run 'Public' Plan - Why it's the WRONG solution to America's Health Care Problems - Creates an entitlement that will cost another $1 trillion over the next 10 years, on top of the trillions the government is already planning to spend on health care. ... Forces more employers to drop employee coverage due to rising costs and pay an additional 8% payroll tax for each worker."

We fact-checked these two items and found they didn't score so well on the Truth-O-Meter. We rated two statements from the mailing,  finding one Half True and the other Barely True.